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(NolhfiodeL) G. F. PRIESTLEY 2Sheets-Sheet 2.

MACHINE FOR DRESSING SILK, m. No. 468,507. Patented Feb. 9, 1892.,

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In: News PETERS co. PHOTO-Trim, WASHINOTUH, o c.

NrTno STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE FREDK. PRIESTLEY, OF HALIFAX, ENGLAND.

MACHINE FOR DRESSING SILK, 800.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,507, dated February9, 1892.

Application filed September 18 1891. Serial No. 406,059- (No model.)Patented in England November 27, 1889, No. 19,045 i in France December2'7, 1890, N0- Zl0,458; in Belgium December 29, 1890, No. 93,263, and inItaly January 12, 1891, No. 473.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE FREDERICK PRIESTLEY, a citizen of GreatBritain, residing at Halifax, in the county of York, England, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for DressingSilk, Silk Waste, and other Fiber, (for which I have obtained patents asfollows: in England, No. 19,045, dated November 27, 1889; in France, No.210,458, dated December 27, 1890; in Belgium, N 0. 93,263, datedDecember 29, 1890, and in Italy, No. 473, dated January 12, 1891;) and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Hitherto the dressing of silk has been performed by manual labor; but itis my intention to perform the operation of dressing and opening silk bymechanical or self-acting means.

For the purpose of carrying out my invention I employ a suitableframe-work in which are mounted cross-shafts carrying toothed wheels andan endless chain composed of wood lags. The lags are connected togetherby hinges composed of leather, metal, or other suitable material. Theendless chain is made sufficiently long so that between the two toothedwheels the upper surface of the said endless chain is dished or forms aconcave surface. The lags forming the endless chain are laid parallel toeach other, and their sides are of such a shape that when the chain ispassing over the toothed wheels an open space is left between theparallel sides of each lag, into which spaces the tufts of silk areinserted; but where the lags arrive at the part where the chain becomesconcave the space between the lags closes, whereby the ends of the tuftsof fiber are nipped or held fast, allowing the projecting tuft or fringeof fiber to be dressed or lashed out by teeth or combs attached to arevolving cylinder, and when the lags have carried the tufts of fiber tothe second toothed wheel the intervening spaces between the wood lagsopen out again when the tufts of fiber are removed, after which thedressed fringe of fiber may be inserted between the lags to have theundressed fringe the circle of the endless chain, but eccentrictherewith, so that the teeth on the cylinder only slightly enter thefiber at the commencement; but as the eccentrically-placed cylinderrevolves the teeth gradually penetratefarther into the fiber until theyarrive at the root or as near as it is thought desirable. The axle ofthe revolving cylinder is made adjustable, so that its eccentricposition can be regulated as required. In order to insure that the lagswill close to nip the fiber and also to insure that the concave part ofthe endless chain shall form a true and correct segment of a circle, Iemploy a segment or .a plate forming part of a circle, and on the end ofeach wood lag I place a bowl or small roller arranged to pass underneaththe segment, which closes the lags and forms them into a true andcorrect arc of a circle. Worms and wheels are employed to give thenecessary rotary motions to the endless chain, and the dressing-cylindermay be driven by bevel or other form of wheels. A second or a thirdrevolving cylinder may be also employed in conjunction with that alreadydescribed.

The cards or teeth on the periphery of the dressingcylinder are attachedthereto in strips running lengthwise, leaving an intervening spacebetween each two adjacent strips, and'as the teeth or cards mustoccasionally be cleaned I arrange that each lath to which the cards areattached shall be hinged, and at a given part of a revolution of thesaid cylinder such hinged laths shall be made to open inwardly and comeinto contact with a fixed or movable comb or brush for the purpose ofcleaning the said cardteeth, and this goes on while the machine is atWork.

In order that my invention may be better understood, I will now makereference to the accompanying sheets of drawings illustrative thereof,wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of my improvedmachine for dressing or combing silk and other fiber. Fig. 2 is aplanView thereof. Figs. 3, 4, 5., 6, and 7 are enlarged sectional details ofsome of the parts.

5 represents the frame-work of the machine, bolted together bycross-rails in any wellknown manner.

6 represents three toothed wheels made to revolve by worms 7, drivenfrom horizontal shaft 8, deriving its motion from driving wheels orpulleys -9 and drivingpulleys 10. These toothed wheels 6 carry and drivean endless wooden chain 11, comprising a series of cross-bars or lagsconnected together by short pieces of leather 12 or other suitablehinges. (See enlarged plan, Fig. 7.) Each end of each lag comprising theendless chain carries a bowl or runner 13, employed for the purpose ofrolling underneath a concentric guide-flange 14, so as to insure theendless chain forming a true semicircular or concave surface, as shownin Fig. 1, which may be tightened or slackened by vertical screws andhand-wheel 15.

The dressing-cylinders are shown at 16 and are supported in suitablehearings on shafts 18,placed crosswise of the machine, such shafts beingsupported in pedestals which are so placed as to cause the saidcylinders to be cccentric with the concave surface of the endless chainto allow the teeth on the said cylinders to gradually enter andpenetrate the projecting tufts of fiber presented to them. The endlesschain is made to travel slowly from left to right of the machine, andwhen an attendant, standing at the feeding end of the machine A, insertsa book at, having a projecting tuft therein, between the spaces of thelags, such book is held secure as soon as the lags commence to form aconcave surface, whereby the tuft is in a fit condition to be lashed orcombed by the revolving cylinder, which moves at a quicker.

surface speed than the endless chain and in the same direction. At thepoint B the tufts pass over the central wheels 6 and begin to descendagain. The tufts then pass under the second cylinder, which revolves'inthe rev verse direction from the chain, and the teeth of the secondcylinder comb the backs of the tufts in the same manner as the fronts ofthe tufts have been combed by the first cylinder. When the tufts offiber arrive at point C, the combingor dressing thereof may be continuedby corresponding endless chains and dressingcylinders.

The cylinders 16 are composed of two armed rims or disks joined togetherby wood lags 17, forming thereby a cylinder or drum. The lat-hs arehinged alternately or otherwise, so as to form shutters, and they carryporcupine or other form of combs, such said shutters'being made to openinwardly to allow the combs thereon to be dressed, and also for thepurpose of having stripped therefrom the fiber which accumulates orgathers in the act of dressing or combing the tufts in the books a, asalready explained. WVithin the cylinders and resting on the shaft 18,but not revolving with it, is a metal frame-work 19, having on the underside thereof projecting'arms 20 attached to a segment 21, carrying aweight 22, employed for the purpose of preventing the frame from turningaround with the shaft. The upper portion of the frame-work 19 carries afixed jaw 23, (see enlarged end View, Fig. 3, and front view, Fig. 4,)and opposite the said fixed jaw is a movable jaw 24, supported by ahorizontal shaft- 25, on which it is capable of sliding when released bya compressed spiral spring 2 The function or object of these jaws is tostrip the combs of the fiber with which they are filled and whichoccasionally require to be cleaned off. When the jaws are not in use,they are kept open, as shown at Fig. 3, by a hinged catch 27, working ona fulcrum 28, operated as hereinafter explained.

For opening and closing the shutters 17 for the purpose of allowing thefiber to be removed from the teeth carried by the said shutters I employa partially self-acting mechanism for that purpose, which is operated inthe following manner: On one side of the dressing-cylinders are a numberof sliding plates 29, one representing each shutter, and on each slidingplate is a stud 30, connected by cord 31 to the under side of eachshutter. (Shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 4.) The shutters are opened bythe sliding plate 29 being drawn down toward the axle of thedressing-cylinder, and this is effected by means of a vertical casting32, (see Fig. 1,) which is made to catch hold of the stud 30 on thesliding plate, and on the attendant operating a handwheel I) or otherdevice on the horizontal shaft 33 the gear-wheels 34 thereon operate thepinion 35, in gear with a rack 36 on the face of the casting 32, therotary motion of ter being opened it passes over the jaws 23 and 24, asshown in Fig. 3, which are standing in an open position, with the fiberin the teeth of the shutter hanging between the said jaws, which are,however, instantly closed by the stud or finger 37 at the back of theshutter striking the bell-crank form of lever 38 in such a manner as toremove the catch 27 from the movable jaw 24, which is immediately forcedagainst the fixed jaw by the compressed spiral spring 26, whereby thefiber is nipped or seized hold of, so that as the shutter returns to itsposition again the fiber is left in the jaws; but on the continuedrotary motion of the dressing-cylinder a fixed stud 39 (shown clearlyinFigs. 3and4) comes into contact with the hinged lever 40, (shown clearlyin dotted lines, Fig. 3,) so as to strike the upper end 40 of suchlever, causing the lower end thereof to force the movable jaw 24 back,as shown in full lines, permitting the 468,507 r a a catch 27 to drop,so as to hold the jaw open. Simultaneously with such movement the fiberdrops from the jaws onto an endless traveling belt 41, (see Fig. 3,)whence it passes to a can or other receptacle placed to receive it,which can is afterward removed from the inside of the dressing-cylinder,one of the arms of the cylinder being left out in the casting for thatpurpose. The open shutter 17 is closed as the dressing-cylinder revolvesby the said shutter coming into contact with the tappet-bowl or pulley42. Each edge of the said shutter is provided with a springlatch 43,which is made by pressure to enter into the latch 44, after the mannerof a doorlatch.

What I claim is 1. In a fiber-dressing machine, the combination, with acarding-cylinder, of an endless chain provided with parallel cross bars,wheels for supporting the chain, and curved. guide-flanges under thesaid cylinder for causing the said cross-bars to grip the fiber-holdersand carry them under the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

2. In a fiber-dressing machine, the combination, with acarding-cylinder, of an endless chain provided with parallelcross-bars,wheels for supporting the chain, and curved guidefiangesarranged eccentric to the periphery of the said cylinder, whereby thefiber carried along by the said chain may be gradually submitted to theaction of the carding-teeth, substantially as set forth.

3. In a fiber-dressing machine, the combination, with acarding cylinderprovided with inwardly-opening shutters carrying the carding-teeth, ofcleaning devices supported in; side the cylinder and adapted to removethe fibers from the said teeth, and mechanism for opening the saidshutters as they approach the said cleaning devices, substantially asset forth.

4. In a fiber-dressing machine, the combination, witha carding-cylinderprovided with inwardly-opening shutters carrying the carding-teeth, ofcleaning devices supported inside the cylinder and adapted to remove thefibers from the said teeth, the cords'connected to the said shutters,the slides connected to the said cords and provided with projectingpins, and a sliding catch adapted to engage with the said pins, wherebythe shutters may be opened, substantially as set forth.

5. In a fiber-dressing machine, the combination, with a carding-cylinderprovided with inwardly-opening shutters carrying the card ing-teeth, ofa stationary frame supported inside the said cylinder, a pair ofspring-actuated jaws carried by the said frame and adapted to remove thefibers from the carding-teeth, a catch normally holding. the said jawsapart, and the projections on the said shutters for releasing the saidcatch, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a fiber-dressing machine, the combination, with a revolublecarding-cylinderprovided with inwardly-opening shutters carrying thecarding-teeth, of spring-latches for retaining the said shutters and astationary tappet for closing the said shutters, substantially as setforth.

7. In a fiber-dressing machine, the combination, with a carding-cylinderprovided with inwardly-opening shutters carrying the carding-teeth, of aframe mounted on the cylindershaft and provided with a Weight adapted tohold the frame stationary and cleaning devices supported by the saidframe inside the cylinder for removing fiber from the cardingteeth,substantially as set forth.

8. In a fiber-dressing machine, the combination, with a carding-cylinderprovided with inwardly-opening shutters carrying the carding-teeth and apair of spring-actuated jaws supported inside the cylinder and adaptedto seize the fiber carried by the said teeth, of pivoted levers adaptedto separate the jaws, studs projecting from the cylinder and adapted toactuate the said levers, and an automatic catch for holding the saidjaws apart, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEO. FREDK. PRIESTLEY.

Witnesses! ARTHUR B. ORossLEY,

Commercial Street, Halifax.

ERNEST P. NEWTON, 1

Moorfielcl Villa, Halifax.

